According to Equifax, this hack has affected as many as 143 million U.S. consumers. Equifax, is working with Federal and State authorities as well as a leading private security firm on investigating the data breach but, in the meantime they are reaching out and contacting consumers who’s information was compromised via email.

The hack also exposed data of an unknown number of UK and Canadian consumers which makes this a global disaster for Equifax and every consumer affected.

On top of everything, according to the SEC, 3 Equifax executives, including Chief Financial Officer (CFO) John Gamble Jr., sold nearly $2 million in Equifax stock days after the data breach was discovered. The SEC declined to comment on the matter but, criminal charges may be pending.

NOTE: This may be a great time to initiate a FREE fraud alert on your credit file to add an extra layer of security. And as always, keep an eye out for any suspicious activity on your credit reports. You can learn more about adding a Fraud Alert to your credit file at the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) website: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0275-place-fraud-alert

In response, Equifax is offering every consumer in the U.S. FREE ID Theft Protection and FREE Credit Monitoring. Here’s a short message from Rick Smith, Chairman and CEO of Equifax.